Forum Activity for @marg

I saw this, posted by Dulcimer Society of Dayton  on FB, this morning. Word is getting out.

 dulcimer day.png - 1.3MB

That's fine, just checking if that date was good  Internationally.

(International - last Saturday in March) 

Did anyone check if this date is ok for different countries - That their country doesn't have that as a special date? Did anyone discuss just (Appalachian Dulcimer Day)

WOW, I'm impressed with all the responses. Good luck with the end result. 

(Dale had a shop in Pigeon Forge in the 1990s )

Thanks for the information - could it be Dale didn't make/sell many dulcimers, that it's hard to find out  information? Or, maybe because he made them before we could google or post about the dulcimers from Pigeon Forge.

Does this 6 string look like a Rippled Sycamore & what type of tone wood would that make

 between mahogany maples.jpg - 146KB

Does anyone own or know anything about Dale Ward's, dulcimers?  It's a  6 string Pigeon River String Instrument, handcrafted by Dale Ward 9/24/97

 0.jpg - 91KB

Electric tape is smooth and you can wrap a little around your thumb, slides easy & protects your thumb

So sad, So young & So much more to give. I love the dogwood sound holes on his dulcimers & I bet many members have one of Bill Taylor's dulcimer. Now a piece of history and a piece of his love to go on. 

Thoughts & prayers

Someone posted in Everything Dulcimer they were selling a dulcimer for a friend - Walnut Valley Dulcimer.

   Turns out thats just the info. I have been needing to know where this dulcimer (that a someone's grandfather had) came from - kit or not. The  arched fingerboard,  the inset maple ball and the chamfered strum hollow. 

 The dulcimer is a great adventure.  Always with a bit of patience we find out more about what it is we are wanting to know.

m.

.

Great info. interesting story of how the name came about

I have tried out my floating removable Humbucking pickup on 4 different dulcimers so far and it works great, fitting each dulcimer.

With this video, I have moved the pickup up some and I am strumming behind it. 

I set a Seymour Duncan up years ago under the strings in a flat space at strum hollow, so I could learn & use the Boss GT-1 during Harvey, the TX  Hurricane.  It is the only dulcimer I had with a flat space, all others had the strum hollow. 

 229938442_4188293084580015_7402355955313553331_n.jpg - 10KB

As it's set now, I am more concerned on having clear notes as I fret - it is not so high to be uncomfortable. I may sand it a bit more, I was just giving myself time to decide. Also in changing the strings I put on heavier ones (& a different brand) deciding now if I wanted to go a bit lighter on the melody. 

Thanks for all your help,  the Intonation  was the concern at first but it is right on now. 

(Now that you have conquered set-up, the next thing is you will start building dulcimers.)

  I feel good about learning to care for a dulcimer but - not there yet on building. Would love to watch someone from start to finish but I'm better at drawing one then building one.

Morning

OK, careful, careful.

Sanded down - still space between nickel & string but much easier to fret, so will leave it here for now.

What would have taken someone maybe an hour or two to set up, has taken me 3 days but I learned a lot and took my time - checking with you guys as I went.

Team effort - Thanks again

Thanks Dusty, I was so busy working up at the nut - just wanted to make sure I could still sand the bridge.

Sorry, nut is sanded down, strings are on the 0 fret, it's the bridge (bottom end) I'm considering sanding.

So, I can sand the bridge to help  the action. I really think the dulcimer was set up for a noter

One last question, I hope:

Nut sanded, new strings & tone is good  off the 0 fret -

But the action is still a bit too high - can I sand the bridge down just a bit?

Thanks Nate, I have it sanded way down and tiny slits cut in the wooden nut for the middle string  & using the nails for the melody & the bass.

All Good, thanks so much everyone

m.

( feel comfortable sanding the nut way down)

  There was another nut in the case, no slits. I sanded that one down, saving the wooden one till I would see if I could get it to work. Hey, Hey - right on from open string to the 7th YEA!!!! Off some up pass 14 but I don't go that hi & if I would - think I would just use a different dulcimer. I even sanded the top more rounded like Nate said, for better pressure on the string.

  I like the wood better, since I don't have anything else white but good for now. I will need to replace the strings, they got a work out today. I'm leaving the nails in since I would have small holes to fill and I don't want to change what the builder did too much. 

Thanks for all the help, I'm slow but learning much from y'all

m.

( the intonation is correct at the nut or at the zero fret)

Intonation is correct at the zero fret, not at the nut

(the builder just shim something over the 0 fret)

What could act as a shim for over the 0 fret?

Could I maybe place something right in front of the 0 fret, creating another 0 - like the size of a tooth pic? I have sanded the nut but hesitant to sand anymore.

( found that how rounded off the side of the nut facing the headstock is can affect the pressure )

This was good info.

Update:

I Always like making a new (for me) dulcimer mine. This one had the rounded-off plug of wood where a hole had been bored into the scroll (I think Patrick's grandfather just didn't finish this part) anyway, I didn't like the look of the plug. While thinking of what I can do -

I inserted a fleur de lis 

 inserted fleur de lis 01.jpg - 514KB

(may be a modified kit)

Interesting idea. 

(rounded-off plug of wood was glued )

What would be the idea to 'bored in the scroll' only to glue a plug of wood (not something more decorative)? An idea starts but then changes needed? Maybe he was thinking of carving something but time ran out & just glued till he could get around to carving the plug.

  How ever this grandfather built the dulcimer - kit or not, he did well. I'm still thinking the high action and the 3 strings close together, he had to be using a noter.

thanks again,

m

( large hole was bored in the scroll, and a rounded-off plug of wood was glued into it.)

yes, but not all the way through - Do kits do the scallop raised fretboards? Lots different from a regular kit.

(eliminated the nails)

I think the nails were there to hold the 3 strings close together the 2 melody & the middle string -  maybe for playing with a noter. The Bass was where it belonged. 

(the nut is installed backwards) Not sure Ken if you meant besides sanding to also turn the nut around or switch out with the bottom bridge but I did turn it around and those two things seems to take care of  things. 

Thanks again guys,

m

Still the mystery of the kit, it does seem to have the leaves of Cripple Creek and the same nut & bridge but not the head scroll (circle on the sides - different) or the raised fretboard, or wooden knobs - hmmm

(the strings should touch the 0 fret)

Would I slit the nut or sand the bottom to lower it so the strings touch the 0 fret? I'm better at sanding some off the bottom, don't that.

Thanks Dusty,

Yes Cedar Creek, cripple Creek but the head scroll is different & it has the raised scallop fret board. 

Don't need who made the dulcimer but what kit it's may be from - and back in the 90's if that is different then kits now.

Someone's grandfather made this dulcimer sometime maybe in the 90's from a kit.      Can anyone tell who's kit it's made from? The case has a McSpadden sticker on it but that doesn't necessary mean it's their kit. Also there are leaves & hummingbird more like Cedar Creek.  Lots of photos and a raised scallop fret board - hope these clues help.

Questions also:

Why are there little nails to hold the strings in place up at nut?

The strings coming off of the nut, are they suppose to ride over the 0 fret (touch or above)? Maybe the slits were not cut into the nut - therefore high action and off a bit up at the 6+ fret. (I place a small stick under the strings up at 0 fret - that helps the tuning up the fret board - so maybe I just need the strings to ride over the 0 fret?)

 IMG_20210726_174646412_HDR_2.jpg - 385KB

(The +3 tab conversion really works best)  Sorry, but what does that mean?

Use a DAd tab & count up 3 frets on melody? So, if it's a 2 I would play a 5? Same as a DAA tab

or - use a DAA tab & count up 3 frets, so a 3 I would play on a 6?

Strumelia,

Looking at your Noter & Drone Blog - Lots of info - could reversing tuning of DAA be the same as AAd 

(Tonic/home note which is on fret #4.) means d is 4 up from A - I still don't understand whats standard tab i have that I could just count up a few frets to make that tab work

Hi

I just ran across a tab (from Carolyn Brodgnisku 'St. Kilba's Lullaby' playing with 'Send in the Music') I tuned to this and tried it out, easy to tune my bass down to 'A. It did sound like bagpipe tuning. 

I usually play melody/chord in DAd/DAA/DGd/CGc etc.. Lately I have been learning how to strum down & much on the melody in AEA (the 50yr. old red dulcimer, I just finished working on) 

As I was just starting to try different tabs, I played a DAA tab on the bass string & again on the middle. 

(Tonic/home note which is on fret #4.)   If I can take my DAd tab & count up 3 & turn it into a DAA tab - does this mean I would count up to 4 for this tuning and would I need to play on the A string, or could I play on the d string?

(dorian tunes) Is that what this tuning is - Dorian?

Thanks, Strumelia - I love how I keep discovering new ways in playing the dulcimer

If I am tune to say AEA I can play DAd tabs, does anyone know if there are any standard tabs for an A'Ad tuning? (Just tuned the D in my DAd down - base D down to A')

Have you ever found any picks that were as nice as a finger?  After working on this 50 yr. old dulcimer & tuning it as a Baritone,  I find my finger strumming down sounds the nicest - any pick ideas?

After spending time working on this 50 year old 'Sears' Christmas Dulcimer. Not knowing what I was doing, I learned a lot as I worked on the gears, knobs (I ended up getting longer screws & a nut for the gears & new black banjo knobs), nut & bridge (glued in & split), strings & a floating bridge up by the bridge to help the tuning up the fretboard - After much experimenting I have it tuned as a Baritone and it sounds lovely. After many tries, a $20. old broken red dulcimer with it's repairs & decorations has a new life and I think it's priceless

Thanks for everyone's help 

 black knobs red dulcimer1.jpg - 519KB

Good suggestion Strumelia,  will think about it but don't want to sand a bit more then I should, no redo on the holes. I know about sanding a little at a time, I just did that with the nut and bridge. It's through this site I even knew to use the hair dryer to loosen 50 yr. old glue holding them both. 

Thanks Richard but I don't want to ship the dulcimer, it's not worth the expense but makes a good dulcimer for learning how to repair problems.

You are right Don, learning on my own as I try things out would come with risk of creating a hole to large - planning on going slow and not trying anything I am not ready for. As far as hammering - was not talking about the buttons, they are not a problem but tapping the new gear in - which I decided against. 

Thanks all for the suggestions

In 2015 I purchase just the buttons (Banjo tuner buttons), they worked fine.

I tried replacing the whole tuner set since I can't keep the tuning from slipping & wanted black buttons.

The new tuners (Uke pegs) do not fit in the wooden hole, they are just a hair too large.  I can't find a shop near me that carries banjo or Uke peg sets, so I thought the Uke ones would work. they don't & not sure if the Banjo ones would or not, so after mixing the the new shaft & black button with the old gear, I'm back to the way it was & the new Uke set is off on the side.

I thought about using violin peg compound on the gears - would that help in holding the tuning or just gum up the hole?

  Running in circles & getting no where other then learning about repair work. I also took the old bridge & nut out (50 years of glue & dirt) and replaced it with new ones, I sanded to fit - good job on that but it took time using hair dryer, mat knife, pliers. & & & 

(rectangular shaft has 2 flat and 2 rounded sides)

The banjo button fit these shafts, does that mean the older tuners are banjo geared tuners or just geared tuners? the Uke tuners are round all around, not 2 flat sides

Thanks Strumelia for your help